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What President Obama Forgot to Tell Small Business Owners

WASHINGTON, D.C. | May 14, 2010 -

Yesterday, President Obama took his so-called Main Street tour to the streets of New York, where he declared his government takeover of health care would “provide welcome relief to small business owners…” However, recent action taken by small business leaders suggests postcards and stump speeches haven’t convinced them ObamaCare is the “relief” they need.

“Attorneys general and governors for 20 states won't be alone in their legal challenge to President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The nation's most influential small business lobby is going to court with them. …

“Agroundswell of opposition to the law from small business owners prompted NFIB's decision to join the court challenge, said Karen Harned, a senior lawyer for the group. ‘The second the law was signed, NFIB was hearing from its members: “What are you all going to do about this?”,’ said Harned. ‘So we hunkered down. We looked around. This state attorneys general lawsuit made the most sense for us. It's the only one that has a national presence.’”

“The fundamental mission of our organization is to promote and protect the rights of small businesses and the self-employed to own, operate and grow their business, and this healthcare law directly undermines this core value.…

“Small business owners everywhere are rightfully concerned that the unconstitutional new mandates, countless rules and new taxes in the healthcare law will devastate their business and their ability to create jobs.”

It’s not hard to imagine why small business leaders oppose the president’s government-run health care scheme. According to a recent analysis by the Obama administration, employers – including many small business owners – face $87 billion in new penalties if they are unable to provide government-approved health care.

Many businesses are now considering whether to pay higher health care costs and navigate the new government red tape or drop their employees’ health care entirely and pay the penalty. In a recession that has destroyed 7.8 million jobs, this is a losing situation for both employers and their workers.

In remarks intended to convince small business owners Democrats in Washington are on their side, President Obama decried the “selective memory” of those who dare to oppose his agenda of government expansion. Perhaps not surprisingly, he employed his own version of selective memory in failing to mention the many ways his administration’s actions have harmed the men and women who work for and own our nation’s small businesses.